Megustav Holst

Having had the opportunity to work with the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra, I've been exposed to some different music, and reintroduced to some. One of them would be Gustav Holst. We played the First Suite in E Flat. Very wonderful piece of music.

However my personal favorite would be his 7 Movement Suite, The Planets. Excluding Earth, and with Holst's brilliant insight that Pluto would never be a planet, it captures the various moods of the planets. For example, Mars: Bringer of War, or Neptune the Mystic. This suite is very open to interpretation. Various groups have done well. My favorite, the Philadelphia Orchestra's version, under the direction of Eugene Ormandy. They do it best, and put the most feeling in it. OK, I will admit there could be more in Jupiter.

Beautiful piece. Listen to it. I dare ya. You'd enjoy it, as well as his other works. (NOTE: The picture is Eugene Ormandy conducting Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity)

The Barker Days

Happened to catch Bob's brief return on The Price is Right today. I have to say, I like Drew, but when it comes to The Price is Right I always associate it with Bob Barker himself. That's who I grew up watching. I remember watching way back in the day, when Rod was still on camera. Then I moved on to him and Rich. I began watching (or caring) full time when Season 35 started. I actually cried when I heard that Bob Barker would be retiring. Then I started watching the earlier episodes. Back then I had no idea Barker had black hair, but I quickly fell in love with the show even more.

So I eventually settled into Drew, but Bob's who I grew up with and who is my favorite. 35 Years is a good accomplishment. Too bad the backstage crap that went on takes away my respect for him as a human being.